Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The Painting's Confession
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The professor's eyes widened as he asked,
"So, you're Jeon Seo-gu?"
What was this? Was he testing me right now?
I'd thought he was specifically targeting me with his tone of voice.
But judging by his reaction now, that wasn't the case after all.
"So..."
How should I explain this?
I'd assumed he knew everything, but spilling the secret myself was no different.
So what was that explanation about the painting?
I couldn't deny it now. In the end, I had no choice but to come clean.
"Yes, I'm Jeon Seo-gu."
At my words, the professor gave an awkward smile.
"I had no idea you were Jeon Seo-gu. Really. Wait, does that mean all those paintings on SNS were yours?"
Nod.
I nodded stiffly, my expression hardening.
Seeing my reaction, the professor praised me as if I were something amazing.
"Impressive. I wanted to meet you someday, but I never dreamed Jeon Seo-gu was right under my nose. Should I get an autograph or something?"
"......"
I couldn't say a word in response to the professor's teasing.
It felt like I was standing naked in front of everyone.
"But why did you hide that you were Jeon Seo-gu all this time? There was no need to keep it secret."
I let out a small sigh and answered.
"Because I wanted other people not to know it was my painting."
"Why? What problem would it cause if they knew?"
"It might lead to misinterpreting my intentions in the painting, and I wanted to prevent its value from being determined by who painted it."
After all, most of my paintings as Jeon Seo-gu criticized society.
That's why I wanted the person behind the paintings to stay hidden.
"Like this painting you did."
"Yes."
Hyorin, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly turned her head away.
"What does that......"
I had no idea what he meant. As I tried to ask again,
The professor placed the landscape painting I'd done on the easel and continued.
"For now, since you infused emotion into the painting as per the assignment, I'll change your attendance. But if you miss the next class, I won't let it slide anymore. Got it?"
"Yes, understood."
"Then both of you can go."
With that, we bowed to the professor and left the studio.
"That's the end of the story about the painting."
I'd thought it was nothing special, but the landscape held quite a few memories.
But the moment I recalled all those memories, one question arose.
'Why didn't I recognize it right away?'
It was definitely my painting, yet it lacked my usual habits.
And it was a precious memory infused with fresh recollections of time spent with Hyorin—why hadn't I recognized it?
At that moment, Eunbi Kim nodded and said,
"Ah, so Sunbae is Jeon Seo-gu. That's huge. I had no clue."
Haeun Park tilted her head in confusion and asked,
"But Professor, didn't you say that painting was by Jeon Seo-gu?"
Come to think of it, the professor had initially said the painting was by Jeon Seo-gu.
From the way he'd phrased it, it seemed he had no intention of hiding that I was Jeon Seo-gu from the start. So why say it that way?
The professor grinned at her question.
"Because that painting is by Jeon Seo-gu."
"You just said Sunbae painted it......"
"Remember my critique of the painting? Back then, Kanghyeok didn't even realize what emotion he'd put into it himself. Can you really call it his painting?"
His words piqued my curiosity again.
"I was wondering about that too. What emotion is in the painting exactly?"
The professor nodded as if he'd expected my question.
"Everyone else gets it but you. Makes me wonder how you even married Hyorin. Right, Daeun?"
Nod.
"Yeah, Daddy's a dummy."
'Daeun, you too......'
I shot Daeun a pouty look, but she burst out laughing, finding my expression funny.
Pouting my lips, I asked her,
"Does Daeun know what emotion is in that painting?"
"Yeah! Daeun knows!"
"How?"
When I asked how, Daeun thought for a moment and said,
"Daeun just knows. But Daeun can't say."
"Why?"
"'Cause Mommy would be embarrassed."
Daeun had said it from the beginning. Talking about the past would embarrass Mommy.
But I'd never asked which part embarrassed her.
So I asked Daeun directly.
"But why would Mommy be embarrassed?"
"The painting......"
Daeun glanced at the landscape on the easel and continued.
"Keeps saying it likes Mommy."
The painting says it likes Mommy?
At that, the professor, who had been listening to Daeun, burst into loud laughter.
"Daeun's sharper than her dad."
Then he explained it in a way I could understand.
"Kanghyeok, your painting isn't just words on a page—it's practically a love letter."
"A love letter?"
"Yeah. It's declaring your love for Hyorin through the painting, and you're the only one who doesn't get it."
Only then did Daeun's reaction—and Hyorin's behavior back then—make sense.
I couldn't pinpoint exactly when I'd started liking Hyorin, but roughly speaking, it was around this time.
"I must have liked Hyorin a lot back then."
At that moment, the studio fell silent.
Rumble.
On the bus ride home, the professor's words echoed in my ears.
Take the painting. It's full of memories, after all.
The professor had told me to take it.
Part of me wanted to bring home this painting filled with memories of Hyorin.
But in the end, I hadn't.
'It was the right choice.'
That painting suited the school studio best.
Maybe because it felt more like something painted by Jeon Seo-gu than me.
Lost in such thoughts, I turned to look at Daeun.
Nod.
'Yeah.'
Daeun had her head drooped, dozing off.
'Must be really tired.'
Of course. We'd shopped for clothes at the outlet, stopped by the art supply store near school, and even gone to school.
It had been a longer day than expected, plenty to tire her out.
I gently pulled her head closer and scooted right up beside her.
Squeeze.
Daeun clung tightly to my arm and mumbled something unintelligible.
"Mmmnya......"
Seeing her like that made me a bit worried about tonight.
'If she naps now, she'll be up late tonight......'
Recharge. I hadn't known before, but these past few days with Daeun had taught me.
Kids wake up from naps full of energy, like they'd recharged.
'Well, it'll be fine.'
Still, I didn't want to wake the sleeping Daeun on purpose.
Whatever dream she was having, her sleeping face looked just like an angel's.
'Cute.'
Her clinging to my arm while asleep was so adorable, I couldn't tear my eyes away and kept watching her for a while.
That's when I noticed something poking out of the pocket of Daeun's pink dress.
'Huh, candy?'
A lollipop with a long stick was half-sticking out of her pocket, about to fall any second.
Just in case, I carefully reached toward her pocket.
"Daeun take it out."
"Huh?"
Daeun, awake before I knew it, rubbed her eyes and guarded her candy.
"Auntie gave this to Daeun 'cause Daeun's good, so Daeun takes it out."
What?
For a split second, I saw fierce wariness in Daeun's eyes.
Like a puppy refusing to let go of its food.
At that look, I gave an awkward smile and said,
"Oh, uh, yeah."
Did she think I was going to take it?
Come to think of it, over the past few days, I'd noticed unexpected sides of Daeun.
The most surprising was her gluttony.
Beyond just liking food, she sometimes got greedy.
Daeun kept her hand in her pocket to keep the candy from falling out, staying perfectly still.
She didn't need to go that far—I wouldn't snatch it—but it seemed Daeun was worried.
Droop, shake!
Droop...... shake shake!
Sleep was coming, but to protect her candy, she shook her head to fend it off. It was heartbreaking.
Her actions stirred an unnecessary anxiety in me.
Had Hyorin ever told Daeun not to eat snacks?
Was that why she was so greedy about food and desperate not to lose it?
'Hmm, doesn't seem like it.'
The Hyorin I knew would share snacks, not forbid them.
So why was Daeun acting this way?
After pondering for a while, I decided to ask Daeun directly.
"Daeun."
Shake!
Calling her as she fought sleep, she twisted her body to guard her candy.
I smiled and asked,
"Does Daeun like candy? Should Daddy buy some? Or jelly?"
Life sparked in Daeun's sleepy eyes.
"Buy jelly too!"
"Yeah, Daddy can buy whatever Daeun wants."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. Let's stop by the mart on the way home."
Daeun's face lit up in an instant, as if sleep had never come, and she nodded vigorously.
"Daddy's the best!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! Daddy's the best!"
She stuck out her tiny pinky to me.
Smiling at the adorable Daeun, I asked,
"But Daeun, Daddy's curious about something. Did Mommy ever stop you from eating candy?"
Had I been too direct?
Maybe I should have softened it. Right then,
"No! Mommy buys lots of stuff Daeun likes! Candy too, and jelly!"
As expected of Hyorin.
But her answer only deepened my questions.
"Then did someone take Daeun's candy before?"
"Daeun's..."
'Eh?'
Daeun's eyes suddenly trembled fiercely.
Seeing this new reaction from her, I asked carefully.
"Did someone take Daeun's snack and eat it?"
At my question, Daeun's face crumpled like she might cry, and she said,
"Hyungchul...... did......"
The somewhat long day passed, and the next morning.
Today was Painter Son Jeongsun's solo exhibition, so I got up early to prepare.
'Who could Hyungchul be?'
On the way home yesterday, I'd questioned Daeun's unusually strong gluttony.
The name Hyungchul came up, but the problem was I had no idea who he was—an adult, a kid, a friend, a brother?
I couldn't go digging up Daeun's painful memories for nothing.
Even if I found this Hyungchul kid, what could I do?
Daeun already had the memory of it being taken once, and it'd last a lifetime.
Scribble scribble.
'What should I do......'
Lost in such worries while fixing my hair, that's when,
"Daddy."
Before I knew it, Daeun was tugging at my clothes, speaking with the cutest expression in the world.
"Daeun's heart is pounding!"